Pin receptacle and carrier members therefor

ABSTRACT

An integral pin receptacle comprises a seamed barrel member having a necked-down end and an extension extending inwardly from the necked-down end which is formed into a spring contact member enclosed within the barrel member and provided with spring members extending substantially parallel to an insertion axis from adjacent an open end of the barrel member and inwardly along the barrel member. The pin receptacles are carried in spaced relationship in a carrier member for connection with conductor members of an electrical component.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Bruce Cameron Longenecker;

Armand Rene de Lyon, both of Harrisburg; Lex Donald Kensinger, Hershey,all of Pa.

[2]] Appl. No. 44,374

[22] Filed June 8, 1970 g [45] Patented Jan. 11, 1972 [73] Assignee AMPIncorporated Harrisburg, Pa.

Original application July 15, 1968, Ser. No. 774,779, now Patent No.3,538,491. Divided and this application June 8, 1970, Ser. No. 44,374

[54] PIN RECEPTACLE AND CARRIER MEMBERS THEREFOR 2 Claims, 12 DrawingFigs.

[52] US. Cl 339/176 M, 339/17 CF, 339/221 M, 339/275 B [51] Int. Cl H0lr13/50 [50] Field of Search 339/17, 18,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,241,094 3/1966 Harton339/258 P 3,487,350 12/1969. Hammell 339/17 C Primary ExaminerJoseph H.McGlynn Attorneys-Curtis, Morris and Safford, William J. Keating,

Ronald D. Grefe, William Hintze, Adrian J. La Rue, Frederick W. Raring,Jay L. Seitchik and John P. Vandenburg ABSTRACT: An integral pinreceptacle comprises a seamed barrel member having a necked-down end andan extension extending inwardly from the necked-down end which is formedinto a spring contact member enclosed within the barrel member andprovided with spring members extending substantially parallel to aninsertion axis from adjacent an open end of the barrel member andinwardly along the barrel member. The pin receptacles are carried inspaced relationship in a carrier member for connection with conductormembers of an electrical component.

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SHEET 2 0P2 z/vvsm BRUCE CAMER LONGENECKEJL AIZMONO ruue dz LYON LE2DONALD KENGMIGEIZ PIN RECEITACLE AND CARRIER MEMBERS THEREFOR Thisinvention is a division of application Ser. No. 744,779, filed July 15,1968, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,538,491.

This invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly toelectrical receptacles for detachably receiving pins, solid lead wiresand the like and carrier means to carry the pin receptacles.

Pin receptacles are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,168,366 and 3,237,149wherein the spring contact portions are stamped and formed elementswhich are then placed in cavities of a screw machine pins to form thepin receptacles. These pin receptacles have proven satisfactory but theyare expensive to make because of the formation of two distinct parts andthen assembling the parts together to form the unitary pin receptacles.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide anintegral, one-piece pin receptacle.

Another object is the provision of a one-piece pin receptacle which isclosed to seal the interior of the receptacle against the passage ofsolder therein.

A further object is to provide a one-piece pin receptacle having thecapability of gripping a wide range of pin sizes and applicable to awide tolerance range of printed circuit board holes.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a pinreceptacle having a spring body for resiliently fitting within a printedcircuit board hole, yet which is closed along the sides and bottom toseal the interior of the receptacle against the passage of solder duringsolder-dipping of the printed circuit board.

A still further object is to provide an integral, one-piece pinreceptacle for disposition within an opening in a mounting member andhaving an integral pin-contacting spring assembly which is protectedfrom contact by solder.

Still a further object is the provision of a header for connection withleads of an electrical component wherein the header comprises theaforementioned pin receptacles disposed within channels of a carriermember having projections overhanging insertion ends of the pinreceptacles to maintain the pin receptacles in position therein, thecarrier member being provided with means to space the bottom surfacethereof away from a surface of a mounting member onto which the headeris to be mounted.

A still additional object is to provide a pin receptacle and carriermember of inexpensive construction formed in accordance with standardmass-production techniques.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the followingdetailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings inwhich there are shown and described illustrative embodiments of theinvention; it is to be understood, however, that these embodiments arenot intended to be exhaustive not limiting of the invention but aregiven for purposes of illustration in order that others skilled in theart may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof andthe manner of applying it in practical use so that they may modify it invarious forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of aparticular use.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a blank from which the pin receptacle isto be formed;

FIGS 2 through 4 illustrate the various steps in the formation of thepin receptacle;

FIG. Sis a view taken along lines 5-5 ofFIG. 4;

FIG. 5a is a rear end view of FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the pin receptacle illustrating anembodiment thereof;

FIG. 7 is a part plan view of the barrel member prior to being formedinto the configuration of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective exploded view of a header and electricalcomponent for engagement therein;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the header of FIG. 8 with theelectrical component in position thereon;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the apertured memberof the blank to form a spiraled-spring contact assembly; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of FIG. 10 in an assembled conditionforming the spiraled spring contact assembly.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention as shown by FIGS. 1through 5 and 50, pin receptacle PR is formed from a blank B including agenerally rectangular member 1, an extension 2 and an apertured member3. Rectangular member 1 at the end at which extension 2 is connected isprovided with rounded corners and at the other end slits 4 are formed.Member 1 is connected to a carrier strip 5 via projection 6.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, apertured member 3 is formed into a springcontact assembly 7 including annular members 8 and 9 connected togetherby curved spring members 10 which are bent inwardly toward the axis ofspring contact assembly 7. A flared mouth 11 is provided at the outerend of annular member 9.

After spring contact assembly 7 has been formed, it isalong withextension 2 bent back over rectangular member 1 as illustrated in FIG. 3and member 1 is then formed as an openseamed barrel member.12 enclosingall but flared mouth 11 of spring contact assembly 7 therewithin asillustrated in FIG. 5. As can be discerned, a part of extension 2extends outwardly from the closed end of barrel member 12 and the seamalong barrel member 12 is closed to the extent that no solder can enterthe interior of the barrel member when the pin receptacle is subjectedto flow-soldering techniques since the admission of solder within barrelmember 12 would impair the operation of spring contact assembly 7. Thus,for all intents and purposes, barrel member 12 is sealed to theadmission of solder therewithin when subjected to a soldering operation.

Slits 4 in rectangular member 1 of blank B during the formation ofrectangular member 1 into barrel member 12 permit the formation of ears13 at the open end of barrel member 12 adjacent flared mouth 11 ofspring contact assembly 7 and these ears provide stop means to limit themovement of pin receptacle PR within a hole of a printed circuit boardor a carrier member.

When spring contact assembly 7 is formed, spring members 10 extendparallel with respect to the insertion axis thereof, and, as a result oftheir inwardly directed configuration, they form a substantiallytriangular configuration to define an engaging area for engagement witha range of sizes of pin members of IC-components, transistors, miniaturevacuum tubes or other similar electrical components that are providedwith pin contacts. The inwardly'directed configuration of each springmember can be at a location axially spaced from the other inwardlydirected configurations thereby defining axially spaced contact-engagingareas which decreases the insertion force of a pin contact within thespring contact assembly and still provides excellent contact-engagingcharacteristics on the pin contact. The proximity of barrel member 12with respect to spring contact assembly 7 enhances the springcharacteristics of the spring contact assembly because it prevents thespring contact assembly from opening up to the extent of not providingproper contact-engaging characteristics during the movement of the pinstherein.

In order that the pin receptacle be fittable into various sizes of holesin printed circuit boards or mounting members and to be resilientlymaintained therein until a soldering operation can be performed, FIGS. 6and 7 illustrate pin receptacle PRa which is an embodiment of the pinreceptacle wherein rectangular member 1a is provided with an extension14 along one of the sides thereof so that when rectangular member la isformed into barrel 12a, as illustrated in FIG. 6, extension 14 overlapsthe other side of the barrel member in a resiliently engaging manner inorder to prevent the admission of solder within the barrel member. Thepin receptacle of FIG. 6 is accordingly resiliently fittable intodifferent size holes of a printed circuit board or mounting member andthe inner engagement between extension 14 and the other side of barrelmember 12a is such to prevent the flowing of solder within barrel member12a when such is subjected to a soldering operation. The force ofengagement between extension 14 and the other side of barrel member 12ain addition to the area of engagement therebetween are factorsdeterminative of the nonadmission ofsolder within barrel member 12a.

Pin receptacles PR and PRa can be mounted in holes or printed circuitboards and secured to the conductive paths thereon in accordance withconventional flow-soldering practices and pins of lC-component,transistors, and miniature electronic tubes can be electricallyconnected thereto by insertion within the spring contact assemblies.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a header H which comprises a carrier member 15having channels 16 and 17 disposed in the top surface and projections 18extending outwardly from the bottom surface. The outer ends of channelsl6,are provided with inwardly directed projections overlying the bottomsurfaces thereof.

Carrier member is made in accordance with well-known extrusion-moldingpractices and after being molded as a continuous strip, carrier members15 are cut in accordance with the appropriate length from the continuousstrip after being subjected to a hole-punching operation to punch holeswithin channel 16 so that pin receptacles PR can be inserted thereintowith cars 13 engaging the bottom surfaces of channels 16 thereby formingheader H. lnwardly directed projections 19 are suitably flexible so thatcars 13 clear them and thereby define retaining means to retain the pinreceptacles in position in holes 20. Holes 20 are also suitably formedso as to be of a smaller diameter than the barrel members of pinreceptacles PR so that a snug fit is obtained enhancing the retainingcharacteristics on the pin receptacles.

Header H is positioned in appropriately formed holes 21 in a printedcircuit board 22 and the pin receptacles are soldered to conductivepaths 23 in accordance with conventional flowsoldering techniques tothereby secure the pin receptacles in electrical contact with conductivepaths 23. Once the header has been secured in position on the printedcircuit board, pins 24 of IC component 25 are inserted within pinreceptacles PR and retained in position on the header via thespring-engaging characteristics of the spring contact assemblies of thepin receptacles onto pins 24. Channel 17 provides a ventilation spacebetween the header and the lG-component and projections 18 space headerH from the printed circuit board to provide another ventilation spacefor the header. Header H can be formed to accommodate the appropriatenumber of pin receptacles of the component which is to be connectedthereinto.

The lower end of the pin receptacle may be open to receive therein anend of a wire which is to be crimped or flow-soldered therein and thelower end of the pin receptacle would preferably have a splitbellmouthed configuration to define means to facilitate the insertion ofthe end of the wire thereinto as well as holding means to hold a rangeof wire sizes therein. The open ends of the pin receptacles may alsoreceive posts which are secured therein as by crimping for use inwirewrapping techniques or the like.

The cantilever spring members can be formed at angular dispositionsrelative to annular members 8 and 9 as illustrated by FIG. 10 so thatwhen the spring contact assembly is formed the spring members aredisposed inwardly and at an angle with respect to an insertion axis ofthe spring contact assembly to provide spirally formed spring members asillustrated by FIG. 11 which provide a greater contact-engaging area forengagement with a mateable pin.

It will, therefore, be appreciated that the aforementioned and otherdesirable objects have been achieved; however, it should be emphasizedthat the particular embodiments of the invention, which are shown anddescribed herein, are intended as merely illustrative and not asrestrictive of the invention.

The invention is claimed in accordance with the following:

1. An electrical connector comprising a dielectric carrier member havingparallel channels extending alon one surface and wherein another channellS provided in san one surface between said first-mentioned channels, atleast one side of said channels having inwardly directed projectionsoverlying bottom surfaces of said channels, said carrier member havingholes extending through the bottom surfaces of channels and spacedtherealong, pin receptacle means having pin sections disposed infrictional engagement with walls of said holes and extending outwardlybeyond another surface of said carrier member, receptacle sectionssecured within said pin sections and having an entrance thereto adjacenta mouth of said pin sections, and ear means at said mouths of said pinsections which extend toward said channel sides and are locatedunderneath said projections so that said projections maintain said pinreceptacle means in position in said holes.

2. An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein projection meansextend outwardly from said another surface.

1. An electrical connector comprising a dielectric carrier member havingparallel channels extending along one surface and wherein anotherchannel is provided in said one surface between said first-mentionedchannels, at least one side of said channels having inwardly directedprojections overlying bottom surfaces of said channels, said carriermember having holes extending through the bottom surfaces of channelsand spaced therealong, pin receptacle means having pin sections disposedin frictional engagement with walls of said holes and extendingoutwardly beyond another surface of said carrier member, receptaclesections secured within said pin sections and having an entrance theretoadjacent a mouth of said pin sections, and ear means at said mouths ofsaid pin sections which extend toward said channel sides and are locatedunderneath said projections so that said projections maintain said pinreceptacle means in position in said holes.
 2. An electrical connectoraccording to claim 1 wherein projection means extend outwardly from saidanother surface.